Homemade Mosaics Guide

The most common material for making mosaic is ceramic tile, but there are other objects that can be used just as easily. A popular alternative to the tile is ceramic or glass dishes. (Please note: although glass can be beautiful it is not highly recommended due to its tendency to splinter into fine pieces and cause injury.)

Old ceramic dishes make a great substitute price wise also. They can be found for very reasonable prices at flea markets, yard sales and thrift shops.

Regardless of which medium you choose to use, you will need the equivalent of one square foot.

To make a 7" x 10" mosaic plaque or trivet you will need:

1 - wood cut out of the shape you desire (close to the above size guidelines)

1 - 1 square foot equivalent of ceramic tile or dishes

2 - cups of tile grout

white glue, water, masking tape, large heavy duty ziploc bag, hammer, container for grout, sandpaper, sponge, soft rag, sawtooth hanger (if making a plaque)

Directions: To prepare ceramic tile or dishes for use, place a couple into the large ziploc bag and seal. Hammer until medium is broken up into pieces of various sizes. Remove from bag to your work area and continue this process until all tile is broken up. Leaving a 1/2" margin between ceramic edge and edge of your shape, lay all of the edge pieces in place first, without glue. Be sure to leave space between each piece for tile grout. When you have your outer edge exactly as you want it, go back over it and glue each piece into place, one at a time. Once your edge is on and dry, you can continue this same process with the remainder of your plaque or trivet. It usually works best to lay out and glue a section at a time. If you get near the end and find you don't have quite the right fit, you can recreate the edges with a hammer or a bevel. But remember, the beauty of mosaic is the irregularities of the shapes. This is one instance where pieces that fit perfectly together will detract from its uniqueness.

Once your shape is covered it needs to completely dry for a minimum of 8 hours. Before grouting, cover the wooden edges of your plaque/trivet with masking tape. Mix your grout and water in the container until the grout is smooth and creamy. It is important to note that you should be careful to not let any grout go down a sink drain as it will set and block your pipes.

Using your hand for best results, put a pile of grout in the very middle of the plaque and work it evenly from the center to all of the edges until entire plaque or trivet is covered. Using your hand again, immediately remove the excess and let it set for 12 hours.

Once it has set, take a wet sponge and wipe off the tile with a wet sponge. "Do this several times, rinsing the sponge out between each use. At this time, if you see any uneven grout or air holes you can fill them in with more grout. It again needs to set for another 1/2 hour. Wipe once again with a lightly damp sponge. Let set for 20 minutes this time. Once the 20 minutes is up, take the soft rag and "polish" the plaque/trivet.

At this point you can remove the masking tape and attach your hanger. The hanger should be the type that can attach to the top of the plaque so that it can be laid flat to use as a trivet if desired.